Scottish Executive

Air Services

Mr Adam Ingram (South of Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive how many flight routes have been established with the assistance of sponsorship or any fund other than route development funds in the last three years.

Nicol Stephen: No flight routes have been established, by the Scottish Executive or its agencies, with assistance of sponsorship or any fund other than the interim route development fund in the last three years, other than co-operative promotions and joint marketing activity by VisitScotland and Inverness and Nairn Enterprise. Any assistance given by airports operating in the private sector is a matter for operators themselves.

Air Services

Mr Kenny MacAskill (Lothians) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive how much (a) is currently spent and (b) will be spent from 1 April 2004, on security at each airport operated by Highlands and Islands Airports Limited; what additional security measures are planned for each airport, and at what cost, expressed also per passenger.

Nicol Stephen: The security costs at Highlands and Islands Airports Ltd (HIAL) are as follows:

  

 Airport
 2003-04
Forecast Cost
 2003-04
Cost Per Passenger*
 2004-05
Estimated Cost


 Barra
 £45,000
 £10.63
 £45,000


 Benbecula
 £86,000
 £5.18
 £100,000


 Campbeltown
 £45,000
 £10.75
 £45,000


 Inverness
 £779,000
 £3.40
 £780,000


 Islay
 £91,000
 £8.36
 £91,000


 Kirkwall
 £230,000
 £4.27
 £230,000


 Stornoway
 £220,000
 £3.87
 £230,000


 Sumburgh
 £420,000
 £7.55
 £430,000


 Tiree
 £45,000
 £16.62
 £45,000


 Wick
 £68,000
 £7.56
 £100,000


 Total
  £2,029,000
 
  £2,096,000



  There are no additional security measures which require to be implemented at any of HIAL’s airports.

  Note:

  *"Cost per passenger" is arrived at by dividing the 2003-04 forecast cost per airport by the forecast chargeable passengers (i.e. arriving adults) per airport.

Broadcasting

Fergus Ewing (Inverness East, Nairn and Lochaber) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will make representations to Her Majesty’s Government on the social inclusion implications for those in Scotland who do not receive a good analogue signal and who have recently had ITV, Channel 4 and Channel 5 free-to-view services withdrawn from their digital service; whether it has made representations to BBC Scotland about this issue, and whether it will take any steps to protect the interests of those viewers, mostly in remote rural locations, who do not have access to an analogue signal, rely for television viewing on a digital signal and who have been disadvantaged following the withdrawal by the BBC from them of these free-to-view services.

Mr Frank McAveety: The First Minister raised these issues at a meeting with Tessa Jowell, Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, in September. Although details are not yet finalised, a scheme is planned which will allow those customers who currently have a satellite viewing card and who wish to continue to receive the commercially funded public service channels without paying a subscription to Sky or another pay TV broadcaster, to get a new card. Customers will be offered the opportunity to purchase the card at a cost of £23.50.

Cancer

Christine Grahame (South of Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive whether it supports the partnership between Macmillan Cancer Relief and Airdrie Citizens Advice Bureau that provides financial advice and support to people affected by cancer.

Malcolm Chisholm: The provision of relevant information including financial and benefits advice is a vital part of the overall support for people affected by cancer.

  Discussions are under way with Citizens Advice Scotland about the possibility of establishing a strategic partnership with NHSScotland to ensure that up-to-date benefits information is available to all patients irrespective of their illness and also for carers.

Cancer

Christine Grahame (South of Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive whether cancer patients would benefit from the type of service provided by the partnership between Macmillan Cancer Relief and Airdrie Citizens Advice Bureau, where people affected by cancer receive financial advice and support as part of their care, were the service to be made available in communities across Scotland.

Malcolm Chisholm: I refer the member to the answer given to question S2W-3559. All answers to written parliamentary questions are available on the Parliament’s website, the search facility for which can be found at http://www.scottish.parliament.uk/webapp/wa.search .

Central Heating Programme

Mrs Margaret Smith (Edinburgh West) (LD): To ask the Scottish Executive whether the standard boiler used in its central heating programme is the most efficient and environmentally friendly model available.

Mrs Mary Mulligan: I have asked Angiolina Foster, the Acting Chief Executive of Communities Scotland, to respond. Her response is as follows:

  The efficiency of boilers used in the central heating programme is set out in the technical specifications covering the installation of central heating systems. The specifications were approved by a working group, which included all the major power companies and other experts in the field and complies with Part J of the technical standards for compliance with the building standards Scotland regulations. While more efficient boilers are available, the decision to select the boilers used in the programme was made after careful consideration of boiler efficiency, environmental impact and cost.

Child Protection

Mr Brian Monteith (Mid Scotland and Fife) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive whether it has any plans to categorise abusers according to their relationship with the abused child, including step-mother, live-in boyfriend and natural father, so that such information may be available in Scotland, in light of the findings of Child Maltreatment in the UK: A Study of the Prevalence of Child Abuse and Neglect .

Euan Robson: The Scottish Executive publishes child protection statistics for Scotland, including the relationship of the child’s primary known/suspected abuser to the child, for children who were subject to a case conference. The categories used are: natural mother, natural father, step parent, parent’s co-habitee, other relative (including sibling), other person known to the child/family, or person unknown to the child/family.

  Figures for 2002-03 were published on 31 October 2003, as part of Children’s Social Work Statistics, and are available on the Scottish Executive website at:

  http://www.scotland.gov.uk/stats/bulletins/00287-00.asp.

Child Protection

Trish Godman (West Renfrewshire) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive how many cases in the (a) Sheriff and (b) High Court involving allegations of physical and/or sexual abuse against children have been abandoned in the last four years because of the (i) unwillingness or (ii) inability of child witnesses to undergo cross-examination by defence lawyers.

Mrs Elish Angiolini: The information requested is not available. The Crown Office and Procurator Fiscal Service operates a case tracking system and does not have a statistical database from which this information about cases involving physical and/or sexual abuse of children could be extracted.

Citizens Advice Bureaux

Ms Sandra White (Glasgow) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what plans there are to establish citizens advice bureaux in health centres across Scotland.

Malcolm Chisholm: There are a number of Citizens Advice Bureaux in health settings across Scotland. I am aware of such initiatives and the value that they can add to the patient’s experience; however decisions to establish these services are for the local NHS and not the Scottish Executive.

Education

Richard Lochhead (North East Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive how many educational psychologists who work with school children are employed by each (a) local authority and (b) NHS board, expressed also on a per capita basis and as a ratio to the number of children registered as requiring such a service.

Peter Peacock: The information requested is not held centrally. However, data on the number of educational psychologists who work with school children in each authority is currently being collected by the Scottish Executive and will be published in spring 2004.

  As part of the review of provision of educational psychology services in Scotland, staffing data was gathered from all educational psychology services in August 2001. This information is provided in the table, and is also expressed on a per capita basis. There are no figures available on the number of children registered as requiring such a service.

  Educational psychologists who work with school children are employed by local authorities but not by NHS health boards.

  Educational Psychologists: Permanent Posts, Posts Filled and 0-19 Ratio as at 31 August 2001

  

 Education Authority
 Permanent 
  Posts
 Posts 
  Filled
 0-19 
  ratio*


 Scotland 
 379
 354
 3269


 Aberdeen City 
 12.5
 11.5
 3988


 Aberdeenshire 
 16.5
 16.5
 3346


 Angus 
 7
 7
 3788


 Argyll and Bute 
 6.4
 6
 3122


 Clackmannanshire 
  
 4.6
 3.6
 2690


 Dumfries and Galloway 
  
 12
 12
 3433


 Dundee City 
 10.5
 10.5
 3317


 East Ayrshire 
 10
 9
 3547


 East Dunbartonshire 
  
 8
 8
 3268


 East Lothian 
 7.65
 7.05
 2896


 East Renfrewshire 
  
 8.3
 7.9
 2706


 Edinburgh, City of 
  
 29.74
 27.14
 3356


 Eilean Siar 
 3
 3
 2209


 Falkirk 
 10.5
 10
 3362


 Fife 
 26.5
 21.8
 3302


 Glasgow City 
 52.5
 51.5
 2851


 Highland 
 13.9
 12.9
 3761


 Inverclyde 
 6
 5.5
 3583


 Midlothian 
 5.9
 5.9
 3454


 Moray 
 5
 5
 3020


 North Ayrshire 
 11.3
 11.3
 3146


 North Lanarkshire 
  
 24
 23
 3543


 Orkney Islands 
 2
 2
 2431


 Perth and Kinross 
  
 7.5
 7
 4231


 Renfrewshire 
 13
 11
 3445


 Scottish Borders 
  
 6.6
 5.6
 3751


 Shetland Islands 
  
 3
 1
 2053


 South Ayrshire 
 8
 6.5
 3369


 South Lanarkshire 
  
 20
 19.1
 3907


 Stirling 
 6.5
 6.5
 3280


 West Dunbartonshire 
  
 8
 7
 3169


 West Lothian 
 12.4
 12.4
 3275



 378.79
 354.19




  Source: as reported in the Review of Provision of Educational Psychology Services in Scotland at August 2001. The report can be found at http//:www.scotland.gov.uk/library3/education/peps-00.asp

  Note:

  * These figures are based on the ratio of educational psychologists to 0-19 population.

Enterprise

Pauline McNeill (Glasgow Kelvin) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive what action it is taking to protect skills and jobs in the call centre industry in light of global outsourcing of services to Asia.

Mr Jim Wallace: Extensive research on call centres in Scotland and outsourced competition from India has recently been undertaken by Phil Taylor of the University of Stirling and Peter Bain of the University of Strathclyde. The Scottish Executive supported this study and the findings are expected to be published later this month. The Scottish Executive will be considering these findings most carefully together with other partners to see what conclusions can be drawn.

Ferry Services

Mr Rob Gibson (Highlands and Islands) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive whether it has any plans to extend the remit of the Caledonian MacBrayne Users Committee Scotland to include passengers on NorthLink ferries.

Nicol Stephen: We are currently considering new arrangements for future consultation with ferry users following a public consultation exercise carried out last year. I expect to make an announcement shortly on future arrangements, including those covering ferry services provided by NorthLink Orkney and Shetland Ferries Ltd.

Health

Richard Lochhead (North East Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive how many vacancies there are for physiotherapists in each NHS board area.

Malcolm Chisholm: Information on vacancies and staff establishments is reported annually by NHS trusts. These figures are shown in the following table.

  

 NHS Board
 Establishment
 Vacancies
 Vacancies 
  as % of Establishment


 Argyll and Clyde
  
  137.6
  
  4.0
 2.9%


 Ayrshire and Arran
  
  147.0
  
  2.0
 1.4%


 Borders
  
  41.5
  
  3.0
 7.2%


 Dumfries and Galloway
  
  46.3
  
  0.4
 0.9%


 Fife
  
  121.6
  
  8.5
 7.0%


 Forth Valley
  
  102.8
  
  3.0
 2.9%


 Grampian
  
  201.8
  
  12.7
 6.3%


 Greater Glasgow
  
  428.1
  
  27.7
 6.5%


 Highland
  
  89.1
  
  5.7
 6.4%


 Lanarkshire
  
  172.2
  
  9.2
 5.4%


 Lothian
  
  354.6
  
  30.4
 8.6%


 Orkney
  
  8.3
  
  1.0
 12.0%


 Shetland Health 
  Board
  
  6.9
 -
 -


 Tayside
  
  140.6
  
  4.0
 2.8%


 Western Isles
  
  10.1
  
  1.0
 9.9%


 Golden Jubilee 
  National Hospital
  
  7.3
 -
 -


 Scotland
 2 
  015.8
  
  112.7
 5.6%



  Source: ISD(M)36, ISD Scotland.

  Notes:

  Vacancy figures relate to posts vacant at 31 March, irrespective of when the vacancy arose.

Health

Mr Bruce McFee (West of Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what representations it has received regarding the West of Scotland Secure Care Centre consultation process.

Mr Tom McCabe: The Health Department has received a number of letters about the proposed West of Scotland Secure Care Centre. These have been forwarded to the West of Scotland Secure Care Centre Steering Group so that the comments can be recorded and considered under the on-going public consultation process.

Historic Scotland

Mr Brian Monteith (Mid Scotland and Fife) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive what public funds have been spent by Historic Scotland or any other public agency on capital works in connection with the management of Holyrood Park, Edinburgh, in each of the last four years for which figures are available, broken down by spending on (a) roads, (b) pavements, (c) cycle lanes and (d) landscaping.

Mr Frank McAveety: The following table shows the Historic Scotland expenditure to date under the specified headings over the past four years. I am not aware of capital expenditure by any other public agency in Holyrood Park during the same period.

  


 2000-01
 2001-02
 2002-03
 2003-04


 (a) Roads 






  Queen's Drive and 
  South Approach Upgrade 
  65,891 
  
  1,353,092 
  




  Broad Pavement Car 
  Park - repairs 


  208,236 
  
  35,521 
  









 (b) Pavements (incl 
  in item (a) above) 













 (c) Cycle Lanes 


  102,000 
  
  45,255 
  









 (d) Landscaping 







  65,891 
  1,353,092 
  310,236 
  80,776 



  The figures under the "Roads" heading include the cost of footpath works and ancillary verge seeding works carried out as part of the overall roads upgrade contract. These are the only capital-funded landscaping works to have been carried out in the park in this period.

Immigration

Alex Neil (Central Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S2W-2772 by Mr Jack McConnell on 2 October 2003, when the targets on promoting Scotland as a good place to live will be announced; who it has consulted in the process of considering the targets, and what the strategic objectives of the Fresh Talent Initiative are.

Mr Andy Kerr: The strategic objectives of the Fresh Talent Initiative are:

  Promoting Scotland as a place to live and work.

  Encouraging students to stay in Scotland.

  Promoting Scotland as a destination for people taking up work permits.

  Improving first impressions of Scotland on arrival (points of entry).

  An Implementation Team within the Scottish Executive has consulted widely with the stakeholders such as the CBI, universities and local authorities. A report from the steering group will be sent to ministers later this year, which will include possible targets for measuring the success of the delivery of the objectives.

Justice

Trish Godman (West Renfrewshire) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive how many cases in the (a) Sheriff and (b) High Court involving allegations of rape have been abandoned in the last four years because of (i) unwillingness or (ii) inability of complainers to undergo cross-examination by defence lawyers.

Mrs Elish Angiolini: The information requested is not available. The Crown Office and Procurator Fiscal Service operates a case tracking system and does not have a statistical database from which this information about cases involving rape could be extracted.

  Cases of rape may only prosecuted in the High Court but disposal records do not reveal the level of detail requested.

Justice

Trish Godman (West Renfrewshire) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive how many cases have been abandoned or postponed in the (a) sheriff and (b) High Court because of the absence of members of juries in the last four years and what action has been taken in relation to those who were absent for spurious reasons.

Cathy Jamieson: No cases have been abandoned or postponed in the High Court or Sheriff Court during the last four years owing to the absence of a juror. On occasion proceedings may be delayed for a short time if a sitting juror is delayed in attending court owing to travel problems, but detailed records are not kept of such occurrences.

Justice

Trish Godman (West Renfrewshire) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive how many sheriff courts are fitted with CCTV systems for interviewing witnesses and how many of these are used for High Court hearings.

Cathy Jamieson: Seven sheriff courts have permanently installed CCTV systems. These are at Edinburgh, Paisley, Aberdeen, Inverness, Stonehaven, Dundee and Glasgow.

  The High Courts in Edinburgh and Glasgow also have permanently installed CCTV facilities.

  Whilst on circuit, the High Court has access to the facilities which are available within the appropriate court.

  In addition, there are mobile units available within each Sheriffdom which can be utilised.

Local Government Finance

Mary Scanlon (Highlands and Islands) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive what measures are in place to monitor whether local authority expenditure priorities are in line with Executive objectives and targets.

Mr Andy Kerr: Local authorities are in general free to set their own expenditure priorities. In many cases these will be set in order to pursue statutory obligations, national standards or policies and priorities agreed with the Executive. Where Executive objectives and targets are concerned, monitoring focuses on outcomes rather than expenditure. In some cases, local authorities are funded by specific grants to secure specific activities and expenditure of these grants is monitored by the Executive.

Maternity Services

Pauline McNeill (Glasgow Kelvin) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive what consideration it will give to the 60,000 signatures collected in the Evening Times petition in support of saving the Queen Mother's Hospital.

Pauline McNeill (Glasgow Kelvin) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will take into account the experience of maternity hospital closures in Edinburgh when it considers the Greater Glasgow NHS Board recommendations on the future of maternity services in Glasgow.

Malcolm Chisholm: I will consider all information before me and all representations made to me before I come to a decision.

Maternity Services

Pauline McNeill (Glasgow Kelvin) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will consider the proposals on the future of maternity services in Glasgow in relation to the wider impact such changes will have on (a) the West of Scotland and (b) Scotland as a whole.

Malcolm Chisholm: Greater Glasgow Health Board are currently consulting on their proposals for the future of maternity services in Glasgow. The overview report of the Expert Group on Acute Maternity Services (2002) makes it clear that acute maternity services should be planned and commissioned in a regional context and when considering their final proposal I will have to be content Greater Glasgow Health Board have adhered to this.

  I have already emphasised the importance of this pan-regional approach when I responded to the proposals made by NHS Argyll and Clyde.

Maternity Services

Pauline McNeill (Glasgow Kelvin) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will consider a central review of maternity services to determine the cross-flow of patients between NHS boards as a result of board decisions on maternity provision.

Malcolm Chisholm: The Executive currently has no plans conduct a central review to determine the cross-flow of maternity patients between NHS boards. However, the overview report of the expert group on acute maternity services (2002) states clearly the need for boards to take a regional approach to planning maternity services and consideration of cross-flow of patients from other board areas should be part of this.

Maternity Services

Tommy Sheridan (Glasgow) (SSP): To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answers to questions S2W-1912 and S2W-1913 by Malcolm Chisholm on 20 October 2003, whether it will wait until it has received the report requested from NHS Glasgow and NHS Argyll and Clyde on patient choice in respect of maternity services across the two NHS board areas before considering any major changes to maternity services in Glasgow.

Malcolm Chisholm: Yes.

Mental Health

Mrs Margaret Ewing (Moray) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive whether the anti-dementia drug donepezil (Aricept) is available to NHS patients and, if so, which NHS boards prescribe it and what the level of prescription has been in each NHS board area in each year since it was first prescribed.

Malcolm Chisholm: Donepezil (Aricept®) became available for use in 1997 for use in the treatment of mild to moderate dementia in Alzheimer’s disease. There are patients in all health board areas receiving treatment with donepezil (Aricept®). The information in the table is given on a national basis in order not to disclose information that may relate to an individual patient. Data in the table refer to prescriptions dispensed by community pharmacists and dispensing doctors, but do not take account of medicines dispensed by hospitals or hospital-based clinics.

  

  All 
  NHS Boards
 No. 
  of Prescribed Items


 1997
 1998
 1999
 2000
 2001
 2002


 1,051
 2,932
 4,719
 7,023
 11,769
 19,261



  The information in the table has been provided by ISD.

NHS Equipment

Carolyn Leckie (Central Scotland) (SSP): To ask the Scottish Executive how much NHS equipment has been purchased through charitable donations and what proportion of overall equipment expenditure these purchases represent.

Malcolm Chisholm: This is a matter for NHS boards and NHS trusts. The information requested is not held centrally.

NHS Staff

Tommy Sheridan (Glasgow) (SSP): To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S2W-2924 by Malcolm Chisholm on 13 October 2003, how much the shortfall in wages referred to in that answer was.

Malcolm Chisholm: The information requested is not held centrally.

Nursery Nurses

Pauline McNeill (Glasgow Kelvin) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive what discussions it has had with COSLA in relation to the nursery nurses’ dispute.

Euan Robson: COSLA and the Scottish Executive are in regular formal and informal contact about a wide range of issues. The Executive does not hold central records of how many contacts are made in relation to any specific issue.

  Pay and conditions are a matter for employers and this dispute must be resolved between the local authorities, as employers, and the trade unions. COSLA has informed us that they have made it clear to each local authority they need to enter into local discussions with the trade unions to arrive at a local settlement.

  The Scottish Executive will continue to encourage the local authorities and unions to keep talking in order to reach a settlement that is fair for the nursery nurses and financially sustainable for the local authorities.

Nutrition

Mr Brian Monteith (Mid Scotland and Fife) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive how it is measuring the effectiveness of the free fruit scheme for primary one and two pupils.

Peter Peacock: We are in the process of commissioning a research project designed both to monitor the introduction of local schemes and also to evaluate the impact of the initiative. This will examine issues of supply and distribution both to the school and within schools, as well as the impact on consumption of fruit and changed eating habits.

Opencast Mining

Mr Adam Ingram (South of Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive how many operating opencast coal mines there are; where they are located, and what size they are.

Lewis Macdonald: There currently are 21 licensed open cast coal mines operating across 13 sites in Scotland. The location of these sites is provided in the table. The size of individual opencast coal mines is a matter for individual operators in conjunction with the appropriate planning authority and this information is not held centrally.

  

 Site
 Location


 Meadowhill Farm
 Forest Hill, Nr Alloa, 
  Clackmannanshire


 Garleffan
 New Cumnock, East 
  Ayrshire


 House of Water
 Whitehill Farm, Dalleagle, 
  New Cumnock, East Ayrshire


 Chalmerston
 Dalmellington, East 
  Ayrshire


 Rigghead Farm
 Boig Road, New Cumnock, 
  East Ayrshire


 Skares Road
 Skares, Cumnock, 
  East Ayrshire


 Spireslack
 Muirkirk, Cumnock, 
  East Ayrshire


 Begg Farm
 Cluny, Kirkcaldy, 
  Fife


 Colton Remainder 
 Colton Farm, Wellwood, 
  Dunfermline, Fife


 Greenbank (St Ninians)
 Kelty, Fife


 Drumshangie
 Greengairs Road, 
  Airdrie, North Lanarkshire


 Broken Cross
 Douglas Water, Lanark, 
  South Lanarkshire


 Glentaggart
 Kennox Cottage, Glespin, 
  Nr Douglas, South Lanarkshire

Police

Cathy Peattie (Falkirk East) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive how many police officers have been dismissed for neglect of duty in the last 10 years.

Cathy Jamieson: Information at this level of detail is not held centrally.

Police

Cathy Peattie (Falkirk East) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive what laws, regulations, policies or guidance there are regarding dismissal from the police force in relation to an offence where a police officer has been found not guilty of that offence in a court of law.

Cathy Jamieson: Police officers are appointed by the chief constable and are subject to the conditions of service as set out in police regulations.

  The relevant statute relating to dismissal from the Police Service in the context of police conduct is set out in the Police (Conduct) (Scotland) Regulations 1996 and the Police (Conduct) (Senior Officers) (Scotland) Regulations 1999. Scottish Office Circulars 7-96 and 10-99 respectively gave procedural guidance and clarification on how authorities were expected to discharge their statutory role under these regulations.

Public Private Partnerships

Mr Bruce McFee (West of Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive how it monitors the financial status of (a) existing operators of and b) bidders for public private partnership/private finance initiative contracts.

Mr Andy Kerr: Scottish Executive recommended guidance for public private partnership projects states that any public sector client undertaking a public private partnership project should complete comprehensive reviews of potential bidders. This will be carried out by advisers appointed by the public sector client, and will include information on bidders’ financial status.

  For public private partnership projects that are operational, it is a matter for the consortium to ensure it meets its obligations under the contract and to manage its contracts accordingly.

Public Private Partnerships

Mr Bruce McFee (West of Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive whether any public private partnership contractors have been penalised for any failure to comply with contractual agreements.

Mr Andy Kerr: Information on whether any public private partnership contractors have been penalised for any failure to comply with contractual agreements is not collated by the Scottish Executive.

Public Private Partnerships

Mr Bruce McFee (West of Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what representations it has received regarding the public private partnership proposals for Renfrewshire schools.

Mr Andy Kerr: No representations have been received by the Executive from Renfrewshire Council. The council submitted an outline business case for approval of funding for a schools public private partnership project. Provisional funding was awarded and the council is proceeding with the procurement. The Executive is in regular dialogue with the council, as it is with all of the schools public private partnership projects.

Public Private Partnerships

Mr Bruce McFee (West of Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive when it expects Renfrewshire Council to conclude the public private partnership contract for Renfrewshire schools.

Mr Andy Kerr: The procurement is well advanced. Detailed aspects of the procurement, such as timetable, are matters for Renfrewshire Council.

Public Private Partnerships

Mr Bruce McFee (West of Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will specify timescales and details of progress for all existing public private partnership schools projects where contracts have not yet been concluded.

Mr Andy Kerr: Information on public private partnership projects within Scotland, including those schools projects that have not yet reached financial close, can be found on the project list on the financial partnerships unit’s website at www.scotland.gov.uk/fpu. The information on timescales and progress of schools public private partnership projects shows estimates based on education authorities’ information. The information is subject to change depending on progress.

Public Private Partnerships

Mr Bruce McFee (West of Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what conditions and performance measures are likely to be set in respect of the Renfrewshire Council proposed public private partnership schools project.

Mr Andy Kerr: In submitting an outline business case in consideration of funding, Renfrewshire Council agreed to abide to the conditions of funding set out in Scottish Executive Education Department Circular No 8/2001. These conditions covered key issues such as that the project should meet policy objectives, be affordable, and demonstrate value for money. In addition, the council has to adopt the Scottish schools standard public private partnership contract which contains detailed performance measures and standards.

Rail Network

Christine Grahame (South of Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive how tests for resource use and energy consumption as key indicators of progress in the development of transport on a sustainable basis, as referred to in paragraph 24 of its consultation paper Scotland's Transport – Proposals for a New Approach to Transport in Scotland , are being applied with regard to the business case for the reinstatement of the Borders railway.

Nicol Stephen: The Borders railway business case, will be appraised in accordance with the Scottish Transport Appraisal Guidance (STAG). The guidance considers a range of sustainability issues, including the impact of proposals on the environment and energy consumption.

Rail Network

Mr Kenny MacAskill (Lothians) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what representations it has made regarding the restructuring of Network Rail and, in particular, the creation of a Scottish region of the company and what the reasons are for its position on the matter.

Nicol Stephen: The restructuring of Network Rail is a matter for the company to determine. The Scottish Executive is in regular contact with Network Rail and make representations on a wide range of issues.

Regulation of Care

Linda Fabiani (Central Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive how many local authorities have local outcome agreements to monitor respite care services and when the local authorities that do not have such agreements will sign them.

Linda Fabiani (Central Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what improvements in the provision of respite care have been facilitated by monies provided in response to the report of the Royal Commission on Long Term Care.

Linda Fabiani (Central Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive whether local outcome agreements for the provision of respite care will contain provisions that ensure delivery of services to individuals irrespective of the degree of disability.

Mr Tom McCabe: Following the report of the Royal Commission on Long Term Care, extra resources were provided to local authorities, which rose to £48 million in 2003-04. £11 million of this is to increase the provision of short break respite care across the range of Community Care services. Local authorities have prepared draft Local Outcome Agreements on the use of the extra resources. The Executive is currently working with authorities on their draft agreements and hope to conclude these by the end of this year. From the draft agreements received it is clear that many authorities are significantly increasing respite provision. Both the volume and range of respite services are expanding. The arrangements are intended to apply to the full range of needs for respite care. It will be for local authorities to determine their priorities for a respite service, in the same way as for social care services generally.

Regulation of Care

Linda Fabiani (Central Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what steps it is taking to harmonise data collection on respite care across Scotland.

Mr Tom McCabe: Improved information on respite is an issue which both local authorities and the Executive are seeking to address. A sub-group of the Social Work Services Statistical Liaison Group has been set up to recommend an agreed terminology that embraces respite, and other services to support carers, and to look at standardised ways of collecting information on service provision in these areas for use by the Executive, local authorities and the voluntary sector. The group, involving representatives from the Executive, local authorities and carers’ organisations, has met twice and we expect it to make recommendations early next year.

Regulation of Care

Linda Fabiani (Central Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive whether it has considered, or will consider, ringfencing monies allocated by it to local authorities for the provision of respite care.

Mr Tom McCabe: The Executive is committed to developing and expanding respite provision across Scotland. To do that we have provided authorities with additional funding of £22 million over the last three years over and above the resources already available to them. That extra funding is now at the level of £11 million per annum.

  Authorities have the flexibility to decide how to use the total resources available to meet local needs and priorities, including respite care. It was always our intention to work in partnership with individual authorities to deliver set outcomes for the extra resources for respite, and targets have been proposed by local authorities in draft Local Outcome Agreements (LOAs). Similar agreements are being piloted across other areas of local government activity as a means of linking national priorities with local service delivery. This shift towards monitoring outcomes means that existing ring-fenced grants now account for a smaller share of the total funding available to local authorities. We need to see how LOAs work in practice but ring-fencing remains an available option.

Regulation of Care

Linda Fabiani (Central Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S1W-34658 by Mr Frank McAveety on 18 March 2003, whether the monies provided are expected to cover the costs of carers’ assessments.

Mr Tom McCabe: Advice on the use of resources provided under the Carers Strategy was given to local authorities in a letter from the Scottish Executive dated 8 December 1999. The letter stressed that the new resources provided under the strategy were to be used to create additional services for carers, including the provision of short break services. Most carers are assessed as part of a wider assessment of the cared for person, the costs of which are met from the general resources available to local authorities.

Regulation of Care

Linda Fabiani (Central Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what policy guidance it has produced for health and social care practitioners in respect of new rights for carers contained in the Community Care and Health (Scotland) Act 2002.

Mr Tom McCabe: Comprehensive guidance (CCD2-2003) on the new carers’ measures introduced by the Community Care and Health (Scotland) Act 2002 was issued to local authorities, NHSScotland and the voluntary sector on 31 March 2003. It is available on the SHOW website at the following address:

  www.show.scot.nhs.uk/sehd/publications/cc2003-02full.pdf

Renewable Energy

Phil Gallie (South of Scotland) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive in light of its renewable energy targets, what the current output of all categories of electricity generation is, expressed also as a percentage of UK output.

Lewis Macdonald: The most recent available information on electricity from all sources in Scotland, for 2001, is contained in the following table.

  

 Year
 Source
 Output (GigaWatt/Hours)
 %
 % (UK)


 2001
 Nuclear
 18,097
 37.0
 5.4


 
 Coal
 15,789
 32.3
 4.7


 
 Gas
 9,800
 20.0
 2.9


 
 oil
 477
 1.0
 0.1


 
 Hydro
 3,738
 7.6
 1.1


 
 Hydro Pump Storage
 520
 1.1
 0.2


 
 Other Renewables
 518
 1.1
 0.2


 
 Total
 48,939
 
 14.6

Renewable Energy

Phil Gallie (South of Scotland) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive what new electricity generation plants are currently under construction; how many applications for construction have been approved, and how many applications are currently under consideration.

Lewis Macdonald: Figures for electricity generation plants currently under construction and applications for consent made to local authorities are not held centrally.

  Since January 2003, Scottish ministers have given consent under section 36 of the Electricity Act 1989 to two on-shore wind farms, three hydro schemes, one off-shore wind farm and a natural gas fired power station with a total additional generation capacity of 736 megawatts.

  Under the Electricity Act, we are presently considering 12 wind farm applications and nine hydro schemes with a potential capacity of over 1400 megawatts.

Renewable Energy

Phil Gallie (South of Scotland) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive, in light of its renewable energy targets, what it estimates the output of all categories of electricity generation will be in 2010.

Lewis Macdonald: No such estimates have been made. Future generation patterns will depend upon a number of factors. These include variations in fuel prices, the development of new technologies such as wave and tidal energy, biomass and cleaner coal, and the closure or refurbishment of existing plant by the industry.

Roads

Mrs Margaret Ewing (Moray) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what progress it has made in its assessment of each of the three-lane sections of the A96, as referred to in its letter dated 11 September 2003 to the Secretary of Lennox Community Council.

Nicol Stephen: An initial assessment meeting about the A96 climbing lanes took place between Scottish Executive officials, representatives of BEAR Scotland Ltd and the police on 23 September 2003. The Scottish Executive’s Area Manager for the A96 met with representatives of Lennox Community Council on 4 November 2003 to discuss their concerns and these issues will be discussed at the next assessment meeting which is planned for this month.

Roads

Mrs Margaret Ewing (Moray) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive when it expects the assessment of each of the three-lane sections of the A96 to be completed and when it will publish the findings of such an assessment.

Nicol Stephen: The assessment is expected to be completed by the end of January 2004 and the summary report completed by the end of March 2004.

Roads

Fergus Ewing (Inverness East, Nairn and Lochaber) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive when the newly upgraded stretch of the A830 between Kinsadel and Arisaig will be opened; whether there have been any delays to the opening of the road and, if so, what the reasons are for any such delay.

Nichol Stephen: The road was completely opened to traffic on 25 July 2003. The contract anticipated that the road should have been opened in March 2003. Delays to the opening were the result of difficulties experienced by the contractor partly as a result of exceptionally severe weather conditions and a fatal accident on the site.

Roads

Fergus Ewing (Inverness East, Nairn and Lochaber) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will include dualling any parts of the (a) A9, (b) A96, (c) A82 and (d) A95 in the next round of trunk road improvements and, if so, which stretches of each road it is planning to dual.

Nicol Stephen: As part of the A9 route action plan it is planned to extend the existing dual carriageway at Crubenmore. Longer term upgrading of the trunk road network will be considered as part of the strategic projects review which will consider all transport modes. That review will begin before 2007.

Roads

Fergus Ewing (Inverness East, Nairn and Lochaber) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will propose a long-term plan for the upgrading of the trunk road network.

Nicol Stephen: Very significant investment in the upgrading of the trunk road network is already committed during this decade. Longer term upgrading of the trunk road network will be considered as part of the Strategic Projects Review which will consider all transport modes. That review will begin before 2007.

Scottish Executive Departments

Mr Kenny MacAskill (Lothians) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what the projected costs are for (a) staffing and (b) establishing the headquarters of Transport Scotland; what the projected staffing complement is, and how many staff are anticipated to be (i) transferred and (ii) seconded to Transport Scotland from (1) the Executive’s transport department, (2) local government or (3) any other statutory body.

Nicol Stephen: We have yet to come to full conclusions on the powers and responsibilities to be exercised by Transport Scotland and its relationships with other transport bodies in Scotland. Those decisions, once made, will permit consideration of its staffing and costs. The results of the current consultation will be important in determining these issues.

Scottish Executive Expenditure

Mr Jim Mather (Highlands and Islands) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive when it will publish comparative budget data showing departmental expenditure on a consistent basis in each year from 1999 to 2003.

Mr Andy Kerr: The Executive are currently discussing with the Parliament’s Finance Committee how we can address the difficult technical issues around the provision of fully comparable data. I would hope to able to provide data helpful to the committee shortly after those discussions have been completed.

Scottish Executive Expenditure

Mr Jim Mather (Highlands and Islands) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will publish comparative budget data showing departmental expenditure on a consistent basis in each year from 1993 to 1998 and, if so, when.

Mr Andy Kerr: I refer the member to the answer given to question S2W-3807. All answers to written parliamentary questions are available on the Parliament’s website, the search facility for which can be found at http://www.scottish.parliament.uk/webapp/wa.search .

Scottish Executive Publications

Stewart Stevenson (Banff and Buchan) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what the cost of (a) printing and production of and (b) postage for (i) consultation and (ii) guidance documents issued to representative bodies has been within its Enterprise and Lifelong Learning Department in each of the last five years.

Mr Andy Kerr: I refer the member to the answer given to question S2W-3705 on 11 November 2003. All answers to written parliamentary questions are available on the Parliament’s website, the search facility for which can be found at http://www.scottish.parliament.uk/webapp/wa.search .

Sport

Tricia Marwick (Mid Scotland and Fife) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what public bodies gave grant or loan assistance to the Scottish Golf Union to set up the Scottish National Golf Centre at Drumoig and how much each such body contributed.

Mr Frank McAveety: No public bodies gave grant or loan assistance to the Scottish Golf Union to set up the Scottish National Golf Centre at Drumoig. However,  sportscotland received Lottery applications from the Scottish National Golf Centre Limited in respect of the centre and subsequently made two awards totalling £1,167,000 from the Lottery Sports Fund.

Sport

Tricia Marwick (Mid Scotland and Fife) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what discussions it had with the Scottish Golf Union regarding the Scottish National Golf Centre at Drumoig prior to the centre's establishment as a private limited company.

Mr Frank McAveety: None.

Sport

Stewart Stevenson (Banff and Buchan) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive, with regard to target 1 of the Tourism, Culture and Sport chapter of its draft budget 2004-05, what proportion of adults currently takes part in sport, broken down by sporting activity.

Mr Frank McAveety: Data for the sport element of target 1 will be measured using data collected by NFO WorldGroup (previously undertaken under the name System Three) as part of their omnibus household survey, the Scottish Opinion Survey. The most recent data available relates to participation levels in 2000-02. The proportion of adults taking part in sport and physical recreation over this period was 62% and the breakdown by sporting activity is set out in the table:

  

 Sport or Physical Recreation
 Percentage of 
  Adult (16+) Participation in 2000-2002 During the Season


 Athletics 
 1


 Badminton 
 3


 Basketball/netball/volleyball
 2


 Bowls 
 3


 Cricket 
 <0.5


 Curling 
 <0.5


 Cycling 
 10


 Dancing 
 8


 Fishing/angling
 3


 Football 
 10


 Golf 
 9


 Gymnastics 
 1


 Hillwalking/climbing/mountaineering
 5


 Hockey 
 <0.5


 Horse riding 
 1


 Ice skating/hockey 
 1


 Judo 
 <0.5


 Keep fit/aerobics 
 9


 Martial arts 
 2


 Multigym/weight training
 7


 Rugby 
 1


 Running/jogging 
 6


 Sailing and other water sports 
  
 2


 Skiing
 1


 Snooker/billiards/pool
 7


 Squash 
 1


 Swimming 
 21


 Table tennis 
 1


 Tennis 
 2


 Tenpin bowling 
 5


 Walking (2+ miles) 
 33


 Yoga 
 2


 Other 
 3

Student Loans

Fergus Ewing (Inverness East, Nairn and Lochaber) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will make representations to Her Majesty’s Government regarding the increase in the interest rate level of student loans and whether it was consulted by Her Majesty’s Government before the interest rate was increased.

Mr Jim Wallace: Student support is devolved. The value of outstanding student loan amounts is uprated annually in line with inflation in order to maintain the value of the amount borrowed constant in real terms. The method of calculation is set out in part V of the Education (Student Loans) (Scotland) Regulations 2000 as amended.

Suicide

Mr Adam Ingram (South of Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive how many males released from prison have committed suicide within three years of release in each of the last five years.

Malcolm Chisholm: This information is not held centrally.

Suicide

Mr Adam Ingram (South of Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive how many male prisoners have committed suicide in each of the last five years, broken down by age.

Cathy Jamieson: I have asked Tony Cameron, Chief Executive of the Scottish Prison Service to respond. His response is as follows:

  The following table shows the number of male self-inflicted deaths in custody in each of the last five years, broken down by age. Year totals are shown on the right hand column.

  

 Year
 Age
 Total


 1998-99
 17, 19, 26 x 2, 30 x 2, 37, 
  41
 8


 1999-2000
 20, 21 x 3, 23, 24, 25 x 2, 
  26, 27 x 3, 30, 33, 34, 46, 48
 17


 2000-01
 17 x 2, 19, 22 x 3, 24, 30, 
  32, 35, 45
 11


 2001-02
 19* x 3, 20, 22*, 27*, 30*, 
  38
 8


 2002-03
 19, 27*, 30, 34, 35*, 45* x 
  2 
 7"



  *Still subject to FAI determination.

Suicide

Mr Adam Ingram (South of Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive how many male prisoners diagnosed with a mental illness have committed suicide in each of the last five years, broken down by age.

Cathy Jamieson: I have asked Tony Cameron, Chief Executive of the Scottish Prison Service to respond. His response is as follows:

  The information requested is not known. Prisoners who are diagnosed as being mentally ill under terms of the Mental Health (Scotland) Act 1984 are "sectioned" and transferred for treatment within NHS premises. While many prisoners suffer from mental health problems, very few are diagnosed as being mentally ill.

Suicide

Mr Adam Ingram (South of Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive how many children leaving care have committed suicide in each of the last five years, broken down by age, gender and local authority area.

Euan Robson: The information requested is not held centrally. Information on suicides of young people is published in the Social Justice Annual Report (see Social Justice ...a Scotland where everyone matters - Annual Report 2002: contents page), but this does not include information on whether a young person had been in care in the past.

Tourism

Mr Brian Monteith (Mid Scotland and Fife) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive how many telephone calls there have been to the visitscotland.com national booking hotline in each month since it was established.

Mr Frank McAveety: Although this is an operational matter for VisitScotland, the number of telephone enquiries received by visitscotland.com since its inception total over 437,000. The number of calls received during the summer months of this year varied between 40,000 and 56,000 per month. A note setting out the number of telephone calls received by visitscotland.com in each month since its establishment has been placed in the Parliament’s Reference Centre (Bib. number 29760).

Tourism

Mr Brian Monteith (Mid Scotland and Fife) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive how much the visitscotland.com national booking hotline cost to (a) establish and (b) run on a monthly basis since it was launched.

Mr Frank McAveety: The total cost of setting up visitscotland.com as a public private partnership in 2002-03 was £7.5 million. Of that sum, the public sector contribution through VisitScotland and the area tourist boards in partnership was £1.875 million, most of which was in the form of a loan repayable by the company. The monthly running costs of visitScotland.com are an operational matter for the company, and are met by it from revenue.

Voluntary Sector

Sarah Boyack (Edinburgh Central) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will provide additional support to assist voluntary organisations working with vulnerable and excluded children and young people.

Peter Peacock: We are announcing today a package of support totalling almost £3 million over the next two years for voluntary organisations working with vulnerable and excluded children and young people. This includes:

  continuation until March 2006 of support for the Lloyds TSB Partnership Drugs Initiative at the current rate of £750,000 per year, and the continuing secondment of a Scottish Executive staff member to manage the project. This initiative is aimed at promoting voluntary sector work with children and young people affected by drug misuse, whether directly or because of their parents’ addiction.

  £1.2 million over two years (2004-06) to commission Columba 1400 to take up to 300 care leavers a year onto their personal development programme. This will provide an opportunity for care leavers to tap into their own potential for leadership and self determination. It will build their confidence and capacity, helping them in the transition to independent living.

  One-off funding of £250,000 to a new foundation that will fund combined groups of voluntary organisations to provide continuity of care and support to vulnerable young people. A Scottish Executive member of staff will also be seconded to assist the foundation.

Scottish Parliamentary Corporate Body

Holyrood Inquiry

Fergus Ewing (Inverness East, Nairn and Lochaber) (SNP): To ask the Presiding Officer what powers are held by Lord Fraser in relation to the Holyrood inquiry and whether the inquiry has any power to compel the attendance of witnesses or require the production of documents and tapes.

Mr George Reid: : It was made clear when the Inquiry was announced that it is a non statutory Inquiry and, as such, has no statutory power to compel the attendance of witnesses nor the production of evidence. In his opening statement to the inquiry, Mr John Campbell, QC, Counsel to the Inquiry, emphasised the co-operation received with the production of material, both by civil servants and by the private sector. Mr. Campbell further commented "Thus far, as I have said already, and in this short time so far taken up, the level of co-operation has been impressively high".